. >>> after decades of leaning on the fbi for help in analyzing evidence collected at crime scenes, the d.c. government finally has a crime lab of its own. >> it is a $210 million project more than 10 years in the making. paul wagner has more. >> the potential that this building gives to the district of columbia to increase, improve and expand its ability to do forensic analysis, to solve crimes, is just enormous. >> reporter: with oversized scissor, the mayor and other dignitaries cut a piece of crime scene tape to officially open the new lab. >> forensic sciences will specialize particularly in dna testing, firearms and fingerprints and will have a fully functioning public health lab as well. >> reporter: gone are the days when evidence collected from rape victims sat on shelves untested and dna from cold cases went unanalyzed. >> it was a lot of work and i lot of advocacy. but can i tell you why i'm really here? i'm here for the moms of homicide victims who they labored so long and so hard to try to get this lab built and victims of sexual assault who were victimized twice when their